Hatrack River Forum: Libriarian Prefers Filing Taxes to Harry Potter

This is topic Libriarian Prefers Filing Taxes to Harry Potter in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.

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Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :

I'm editing a newspaper at work when an article mentioning that in 2005 1 in 4 Americans had not read any books in the last year, caught my eye.

While reading, this little gem came up,

"Pollyann Baird, 84, a retired school librarian in Loveland, Colo., says J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter fantasy series is her favorite. But she has forced herself to not read the latest and final installment, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," because she has yet to file her income taxes this year due to an illness and worries that once she started the book, "I know I'd have to finish it."

Wow...just wow... [Eek!]

Talk about business before pleasure.

[ August 31, 2007, 02:55 PM: Message edited by: BlackBlade ]

Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :

It's not as if reading that book would take up weeks of her time. More like an afternoon and evening.

Posted by Javert Hugo (Member # 3980) on :

Why isn't the headline "It's August and Librarian Still Hasn't Filed Taxes. Who Needs Six Extra Months?"

Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :

Well, she had some kind of illness. It's hard to take care of your taxes when you're in a coma or something.

I'm assuming it was something a little more severe than a head cold.

Posted by Javert Hugo (Member # 3980) on :

I get that. All things considered, it isn't an either/or scenario. She's six months late filing taxes and has apparently just woken up out of a coma, and the story is Harry Potter has to wait? Does she not take baths?

Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :

That filthy, tax-evading, headline-grabbing bimbo!

Posted by Javert Hugo (Member # 3980) on :

Oh, please. More like "Paper Desperate For Harry Potter Headline Resorts To Simply Making Up Excuses"

Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :

quote:
I'm editing a newspaper at work when an article mentioning that in 2005 1 in 4 American's had not read any books, caught my eye.

If you're referring to the recent Associated Press poll, 1 in 4 Americans hadn't read any books in the past year not that they had not read any books.

Which may be what you meant, but I cannot tell.

Posted by MrSquicky (Member # 1802) on :

What headline? It was a cute little anecdote in an article about American's not reading.

Posted by Javert Hugo (Member # 3980) on :

Eh, near enough. It's still a lame story mentioned only because the magic words "Harry Potter" were in it.

Posted by Lisa (Member # 8384) on :

quote:
Originally posted by BlackBlade:
I'm editing a newspaper at work when an article mentioning that in 2005 1 in 4 American's had not read any books, caught my eye.

While reading, this little gem came up,

"Pollyann Baird, 84, a retired school librarian in Loveland, Colo., says J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter fantasy series is her favorite. But she has forced herself to not read the latest and final installment, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," because she has yet to file her income taxes this year due to an illness and worries that once she started the book, "I know I'd have to finish it."

So she's saying that she actually prefers Harry Potter to filing taxes. Not the other way around. That's why she's forcing herself to do the taxes first.

</pedandry>

Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :

Javert Hugo: The article had no mention of Harry Potter in the headline. It was all about Americans not reading.

Porter: Thanks for the correction, I think I initially meant to say, "IN 2005 1/4 Americans did not read any books." But it came out alittle unclear.

Lisa: Nope. She prefers to be responsible, and as such she prefers to to file taxes rather then read Harry Potter. The humerous subject heading stands!

Mr S: When I get back to work in about 1.5 hours I'll pull up the article again and state the headline. I'll also try to cite what poll they are using. In the article they make some notes of the demographs of who reads, and there was a seperate poll about who many Americans in the last year started books but failed to finish one.

[ August 31, 2007, 02:54 PM: Message edited by: BlackBlade ]

Posted by Jon Boy (Member # 4284) on :

Normally I would resist, but after TWO posts with the words "American's not reading," I just had to point out the irony.

And yes, I know that reading does not necessarily correlate with spelling skills.

Posted by MrSquicky (Member # 1802) on :

Mine was intentional. porter posted right before me and, well, I'm an evil person. I noticed it in the original post and I wanted to try to keep it going.

Posted by BannaOj (Member # 3206) on :

American's just need more maps. If they had maps, then they'd read more! [Razz]

Posted by MrSquicky (Member # 1802) on :

Their isn't enough funding in our schools. Its so sad that this country doesn't understand how important it's schools are. We should write to Congress. Their going to have to do something about this.

Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :

unless of course congressmen can't read.

Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Jon Boy:
Normally I would resist, but after TWO posts with the words "American's not reading," I just had to point out the irony.

And yes, I know that reading does not necessarily correlate with spelling skills.

I don't know what you're talking about! *stares at the floor nervously*

I have a problem..... [Frown]

Honestly I think it's a reflex, and though I know it's a mistake, I have not trained my cursory proofreader to catch it.

[ August 31, 2007, 04:12 PM: Message edited by: BlackBlade ]

Posted by Javert Hugo (Member # 3980) on :

Anecdotally, I certainly read fewer books now that I have the Internet to distract me.

Posted by Jon Boy (Member # 4284) on :

quote:
Originally posted by BlackBlade:
I don't know what your talking about!

*bites tongue*

Posted by MrSquicky (Member # 1802) on :

quote:
Mr S: When I get back to work in about 1.5 hours I'll pull up the article again and state the headline. I'll also try to cite what poll they are using. In the article they make some notes of the demographs of who reads, and there was a seperate poll about who many Americans in the last year started books but failed to finish one.

Not really sure why you directed this at me. I certainly don't care if you do this or not.

edit: Oh, I get the confusion. I was responding to kat, not you.

Posted by Goody Scrivener (Member # 6742) on :

quote:
Originally posted by BannaOj:
American's just need more maps. If they had maps, then they'd read more!

:rimshot

But shouldn't that be US American's?

Posted by BannaOj (Member # 3206) on :

yes

Posted by Lisa (Member # 8384) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Goody Scrivener:

quote:
Originally posted by BannaOj:
American's just need more maps. If they had maps, then they'd read more!
:rimshot

But shouldn't that be US American's?

What other kind is there?

Posted by Goody Scrivener (Member # 6742) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Lisa:
What other kind is there?

Ask Miss Teen South Carolina [Smile]

Posted by MrSquicky (Member # 1802) on :

I believe, especially for the population that would use US Americans, there are also Dem Americans.

Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Jon Boy:

quote:
Originally posted by BlackBlade:
I don't know what your talking about!
*bites tongue*

OK OK that was kinda mean to hurt your eyes like that.

Mr S: I figured out the confusion but I had already posted a few minutes prior so rather then compound the confusion I just hoped you'd figure it out before I got back to work.

-----
Incidentally, 2/3rds of Americans who read read the Bible or other religious books last year, 1/2 read biographies, popular fiction, histories, and mysteries. Less then 5% read poetry, classic literature, and politics. That's pretty significant stuff IMO.

Liberals and Democrats are just a titch more likely to read then Republicans/Conservatives. Lower income, rural, older folks are more likely to read religious books. Women read more then men. People with college degrees read more.

People from the west/midwest tend to read more then those in the east. People who attend a regular religious service read about half as many books as those who do not.

The pool was taken August 6th - 8th and involved interviews with 1,003 adults.

[ August 31, 2007, 04:27 PM: Message edited by: BlackBlade ]

Posted by JonHecht (Member # 9712) on :

quote:
Originally posted by MrSquicky:
Their isn't enough funding in our schools. Its so sad that this country doesn't understand how important it's schools are. We should write to Congress. Their going to have to do something about this.

Or maybe there should be less funding, as people seemed to want to read more when only the upper class could.
[Dont Know]

</sarcasm>

It isn't a matter of funding but getting people to enjoy literature above other forms of entertainment like video games. I remember when I was in 10th grade my history teacher told us about the best students he ever had. This was a number of years back and it was his entire class for a few years. The kids were the children of hippies who lived on communes! The reason is because they didn't have a TV, radio, or anything like that. All they had were books so if he gave them a book to read over the month or so most of them had read it by next class, and many even finished reading the history textbook within the first week of class. He claimed that 1/4th of them got into Ivy League schools.

Edit: I don't really remember what my point was, but it is still a cool story.

Posted by MrSquicky (Member # 1802) on :

Hey, Blayne missing the joke was actually pretty funny. No fair other people doing it too.

Posted by Fyfe (Member # 937) on :

I totally see this librarian's point. I am all about delaying gratification.

Posted by Liz B (Member # 8238) on :

Yeah, me too. But I couldn't delay HP7 because I knew somebody would spoil the ending for me.

Posted by Fyfe (Member # 937) on :

Exactly. But I really wanted to. I was sitting there with the book and thinking, Gee, I would enjoy this so much more if I just put it off for a little while.

Posted by Tara (Member # 10030) on :

I was expecting a statement from some librarian saying "God, I'd rather file my taxes then read THAT crap!"

Oh well.

Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :

I've filed my taxes as late as October. Getting an extension is no big deal when the gov't owes you money.

Posted by Belle (Member # 2314) on :

We still haven't filed for 2006. When you own your own business, and have to track down people who owe you 1099's, and sometimes they are out of business and hard to track down, then your accoutant wants copies of certain receipts, etc. it can take a long time to get together. Plus, our accountant does our taxes for free but she won't put us above paying customers, so she won't even look at our stuff until after tax season is over. So, she automatically files extensions for us and works on it a little bit at a time.

We don't owe anything, and the government doesn't owe us much, so it's not like anyone is dying to get their hands on any money. It really isn't that big of a deal to delay doing your taxes for months so long as you file the proper extensions and don't owe the government any money. The librarian had an illness and having recently been through a catastrophic illness myself, I can understand how one gets behind.

Posted by DSH (Member # 741) on :

Icarus, when the govt owes ME money, I file before the end of January. With e-file and direct deposit, I frequently GET my refund before the end of January!

Of course the govt will give you an extension under those circumstances; keep in mind that the govt doesn't have to pay you any of the interest they make off of your refund while you take your time claiming it.

That (and my five kids) is reason enough to file early. [Big Grin]

Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :

Well aren't you the clever worm!

Posted by kmbboots (Member # 8576) on :

I attend weekly religious services and read at least a book a week. Including religious books, politics, biography, history, mystery, popular and classic literature, and poetry.

I still am delaying the gratification of HP7 (and no one has spoiled it for me) despite having done my taxes on time (it took about 8 minutes).

I never get surveyed.

And I have a 14 year-old niece who would rather read a book than go to a movie.

Posted by divaesefani (Member # 3763) on :

Hey...this librarian is apparently from my home town. Interesting.